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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — electric
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fork — in a road
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — of water
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com